Gene Scott RIP

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/dr-gene-scott/

(Watch the Scott mourners google this and teach me a lesson now)

xpost

Wally George, I think, contributed a lot to southern California punk rock culture.. maybe not in the best way.. but Hot Seat certainly was one of the most watched shows by punks in greater L.A. in the 80s. I can't say the same for Gene Scott.

Well then hey! You don't have to worry!

reactionary bullying wannabe-Rush-Limbaugh with bad hair

vs.

loopy self-invented prophet who rewrote the rules of television

I'll take the second.

have never seen that herzog documentary. the time is now.

His annual Easter Sunday message, based on the PhD he wrote for Stanford, is one of the most persuasive pieces of evangelism I've ever heard. His battle to keep his old building as part of downtown L.A.'s culture was noble and wonderful. His understanding of the tithe is honest, and doesn't bother with so-called "prosperity theology" but gives a thorough and penetrating look at the teaching it addresses. And, finally, southern California evangelism is its own beast, one shaped largely by Gene Scott. I'm no Christian, and I don't have time for many preachers, but W. Eugene Scott has my respect.

I've always despised Gene Scott. I only watched him on a dare put upon me by friends during college.. kinda like being dared to watch 15 episodes of Scarecrow And Mrs. King. His signature long pauses and occasional rants were certainly unique, mind you. But, his corportal punishment stylee he inflicted upon his audience, and the transcendent boredom that it translated as on TV, while certainly unique, contributed nothing joyful or good at all. I think the Van Impes are far more entertaining, and that's saying something.

I don't think there has ever been a TV experience quite like watching Gene Scott's TV channel. I guess it could be compared to something like the Jerry Lewis telethon - if the Jerry Lewis telethon ran 24-hrs a day, 365 days a year, and the show consisted of a close-cropped picture of a bearded white haired guy wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigar who would sit stone-faced and stare into the camera until people donated the money he was asking for, and then when he was satisfied with the amount of the take, he would proceed to launch into convoluted theological explanations of everything from the Bible to the pyramids and how they were all connected, divided by lengthy montages of horses (presumably on one of Scott's ranches) running around a track, during which time Scott presumably ate, slept, took potty breaks, and rode around in his limo. It's true as Ned mentioned that the internet has made this kind of oddball narcissism possible for one and all, but that Scott was able to achieve this in the pre-internet days, and to establish a media and religious empire in the process, is something of an accomplishment.

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Many moons ago (well, 1981 to be precise) me and a couple of friends decided that it was our civic responsibility to inform Dr. Scott that his phone number added up to 666. It really did, his number was 213-240-8151 which translates to 6 (2+1+3), 6 (2+4+0), 6 (8+1+5+1=15 -> 1+5=6). We called his number every day for a couple of months to warn him of this potential satanic corruption until the number was finally changed. Scott became CLASSIC the day he sat in his chair and just scowled into the camera without speaking for a couple of hours. Anyone out there see Werner Herzog's documentary about him (_God's Angry Man_)?

-- Chris Barrus (xibalb...), December 3rd, 2001 5:00 PM
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